Extensible fork.



S. PARKER.

EXTENSIBLE FORK.

APPLICATION FILED JULYB, 1914.

1,121,657, Patented D60. 22. 1914.

I 6 2 Harnesses. g in: I/7VE/77Uf'. )4/ Za W" 20 2O 1 555 64m STANLEY PARKER, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

EXTENSDZLE FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed July 8, 1914. Serial No. 849,360.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STANLEY PARKER, a citizen of the United States residing at New Britain, in the county of l-Iartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Forks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in extensible household implements, and the object of my improvement is to roduce an im lement having an extensible andle and which may be provided interchangeably with different implements havin the character of a fork, suitable for use or toasting and the like and which may in particular be adapted for use with a fire place or open grate.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved extensible household implement showing one style of fork. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same in the closed position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of part of the same showing one of the joints, and on an en larged scale. Fig.4 1s a front elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the line a: a: of Fig. 4. Fi 6 is a sectional view showing the separabfii connection for the implement proper. Fi 7 is an edge view, on a reduced scale, of t e implement proper shownin Fig. 1. Fi 8 is a side elevation of a difl'erent form 0% implement from that shown in Fi 1. Fig. 9 is an ed e view of the same. 1g. 10 is a side elevation of another modification of the implement. Fig. 11 is an edge view of the same.

My improved extensible household implement comprises a handle 10 and an implement 11 at one end thereof. The handle 1 0is' made up of a series of elements connected b telescoping joints havin certain spwial f eatures to be described. he said joints comprise a spring 12 positioned between the outer element or member 13 and the inner member 14, having one end in abutment with an annular shoulder 15 on the inner face of the collar 16 that closes the end of the outer member 13 and the other end in abutment with the enlarged head 17 provided on the end of the inner member 14. The spring 12 tends to draw the inner member 14 inwardly within the outer member 13, toward the closed position.

Opposed to the spring 12 is a spring latch 18, which is operatively mounted in a slot 1n the inner member 14, and which is suitably positioned to enga e with the outer side of the collar 16 an thereby prevents the inner member 14 from being drawn inwardly by the spring 12. Therefore, the spring latch 18 serves to hold the members pos1t1vely in the extended osition.

In order to hold the mem rs in non-rotative relation the one to the other I provide a slot 19 in the outer end portion of the collar 16 that is a fit for and suitable to receive the nose of the s ring latch 18. By depress-- isters with the slot 19, when the same wi 1 dro to the engaging position therein.

he partic ar implement 11 shown in Fig. 1 1s a bread toaster and is removably connected to the handle 10 by a screw connection 20, and for engaging with and securing the bread the same is provided with a plurality of prongs as shown. The said prongs comprise a middle prong 21 and a pair of lateral pro 22, one on each side thereof. The latera prongs 22 are in an axial plane and have the outer ends 23 curled outwardly, laterally, suitably to rovide an extended bearing surface. he middle prong 21 has a relatively sharp point; rojects ap reciably forward of the ends 0 the later prongs 22; is off-set a slight distance from the plane of the said lateral members 22; and is preferably dirooted at a slight an 1e relatively thereto as shown in Fig. 7. e angular relation of the prongs serves to effect a pinching or bindin efiect of the prongs on t e brea In tfie modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the implement 11' is also a bread toaster and the same difl'ers from the toaster 11 in that the middle prong 21 is straight and in line with the axis and lateral prongs 22 are ofi-set relatively thereto, and also are normally directed at a slight angle. Also, the lateral prongs 22 have sharp points 23 at the ends, suitable to enter the bread in lieu of the laterally directed ends 23 shown in Fig. 1.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the implement 11 has two strai ht prongs 21, relatively short, and space a short distance apart, and the same is adapted for use as a marshmallow toaster.

It is obvious that other forms of implements may be used interchangeably with the handle 10. Insome of these, as for instance, the bread toaster, it is a distinct advantage to have the device so constructed, either in the manner shown, or in some manner e uivalent thereto, that the handle members will be held positively in non-rotation relation, so that the member to which the implement is connected will not turn relatively to the handle member at the other or butt end of the handle, and which latter really serves as the handle proper.

I claim as m invention In combinatlon in an extensible household implement, a handle ortion in the form of a fork and an imp enient rtion removably connected to one end t ereof, and the said handle portion being composed of a series of telescoping elements connected together, and the means forconnectin the said elements serving to 'tively he (1 the said elements against end ise displacement and also in non-rotative relation.

STANLEY PARKER.

Witnesses:

MARGARET As Gown, W. J- WORAM, 011'- It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,121,657, granted December 22,

1914, upon the application of Stanley Parker, of New Britain, Connecticut, for an improvement in Extensible Forks, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, lines 24-25, strike out the words in the form of afork; same page, line 25, after the word portion insert the words on thefonn of a fork; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflioe.

Signed and sealed this 2nd day of March, A. D., 1915.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[sun] 

